Volume 11, Number 10—October 2005
Dispatch
Rapid West Nile Virus Antigen Detection
Nicholas A. Panella*
, Kristen L. Burkhalter*, Stanley A. Langevin*, Aaron C. Brault*, Lynn M. Schooley*, Brad J. Biggerstaff*, Roger S. Nasci*, and Nicholas Komar*
, Kristen L. Burkhalter*, Stanley A. Langevin*, Aaron C. Brault*, Lynn M. Schooley*, Brad J. Biggerstaff*, Roger S. Nasci*, and Nicholas Komar*Table 1
Sensitivities of the VecTest and plaque assay in detecting West Nile virus in American Crows and House Sparrows, by swab type and day postmortem*
| Species | Day postmortem | Assay | Swab type |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral, % positive (no. tested) | Cloacal, % positive (no. tested) | |||
| American Crow | 1 | VecTest | 90 (30) | 90 (29) |
| Plaque | 83 (30) | 69 (29) | ||
| 2 | VecTest | 93 (30) | 100 (29) | |
| Plaque | 90 (30) | 55 (29) | ||
| 3 | VecTest | 97 (30) | 83 (30) | |
| Plaque | 83 (30) | 13 (30) | ||
| 4 | VecTest | 100 (5) | 80 (5) | |
| Plaque | 80 (5) | 0 (5) | ||
| House Sparrow | 1 | VecTest | 70 (10) | 67 (9) |
| Plaque | 90 (10) | 56 (9) | ||
| 2 | VecTest | 75 (8) | 100 (2) | |
| Plaque | 75 (8) | 50 (2) | ||
| 3 | VecTest | 83 (6) | NA | |
| Plaque | 83 (6) | NA | ||
*NA, not available (valid sampling was not possible given the physical state of the bird).
